Bases Quote by Marquis de Sade
“Every principle is a judgment, every judgment the outcome of experience, and experience is only acquired by the exercise of the senses; whence it follows that religious principles bear upon nothing whatever and are not in the slightest innate. Ignorance and fear, you will repeat to them, ignorance and fear - those are the twin bases of every religion.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Philosophical Thoughts on Religion, 1795
Human judgments stem from sensory experience; thus religious principles lack innate basis and are rooted in ignorance and fear.
In simple terms: Judgments come from senses, not innate ideas.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how fear and ignorance shape beliefs.
Themes
religion
human nature
epistemology
psychology
fear
Mood
critical
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
provocative
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal belief formation
- education reform
- interfaith dialogue
- mental health counseling
Key Concepts
sensory experience
cognitive bias
social conditioning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies reduce fear‑based belief systems?
A Different Perspective
Does this view overlook the comfort and community religion provides?
![“When I said [ I would work with any organization] I would make the, the reservation that I would work with any organization as long as it didn't make us compromise our religious principles.” quote by Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f68/malcolm-x-213_compromise_when-i-said-i-would-work-with-any-organi_953482.jpg)
![“The law which attempts a man's life [capital punishment] is impractical, unjust, inadmissible. It has never repressed crime--for a second crime is every day committed at the foot of the scaffold.” quote by Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b85/marquis-de-sade-1964_capital-punishment_the-law-which-attempts-a-man-s-life-capi_99486.jpg)
